How Emotional Support Animals Can Help with Your Daily Living

Do you suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD? This is a serious medical condition that results from a traumatic event or series of experiences that were life-altering. The result is intense anxiety and flashbacks of the original event. This can range from mild to severe with unexpected attacks days, months and even years afterward. One suggestion that your therapist may have is to acquire an emotional support animal that can help you deal with your stress. Here are just a few ways that a trained animal may be able to help you.

What is an ESA and How Can You Get One?
An emotional support animal, or ESA, is a pet that helps support you emotionally through daily activities. This animal is typically a dog, although some doctors or physicians may also approve other pets such as a bird or cat. Your doctor must acknowledge that you suffer from a mental illness or disorder in order for him or her to approve your written request to acknowledge your pet as a support animal. Certain types of health issues may qualify, including:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Generalized anxiety disorder.
• Depression.
• Bipolar disorder.
• Other more serious forms of mental illness.

You and your doctor will have to discuss what your needs are and list exactly how your pet helps you cope. From there, an approved letter will allow your dog to be accepted into most leases and contracts where pets may otherwise be restricted. You can also get an ESA letter from Emotional Support Animal Co. Be sure that you get a full medical work up to rule out any underlying medical problems. Always trust a licensed doctor in the medical or mental health field.

Benefits
When you find yourself alone with no one or nothing to offer emotional support therapy, pets can be a wonderful outlet to turn to. Animals provide comfort and emotional reinforcement that is unconditional, that forms a bond closer than some people form with other humans. There are many advantages to having a pet live with you throughout your daily activities. The main benefits are:

• *The pet provides a calming effect.
• *Your animal may identify any possible stress triggers or dangers.
• *Offering companionship and emotional support.

If your lease does not allow pets, having a medically certified animal with you at home can make it easier to cope with living alone or dealing with your emotional issues.

Where Your Pet Can And Can't Go
Understand that an emotional support animal is not the same as a service dog. A service dog, according to the AKC, has full public access rights. This means that it can go into any public establishment, especially where animals are not allowed into, such as a restaurant, doctors office or grocery store. By law, emotional support animals are limited to certain public establishments. If you bring your dog into a restricted establishment, you may be asked to leave or risk being fined or arrested for not following the rules. Always speak to the manager or owner of a public domain before you decide to bring your pet companion with you.

Tips to Consider Before Getting a Support Animal
Have you really thought the idea through of obtaining a support animal? Keep in mind that they will need the same care and support any other dog or animal does. Make sure you can provide to financially care for your pet, all of its licensing and fees as well as veterinary care. While some apartment complexes will have to abide by a medical doctor's note to allow you keep your pet, you still will be responsible for any damage the pet may cause and you may have to pay a fee per pet per year in order to have your pet at your residence. Taking all of these things into careful consideration will make it easier to decide if an emotional support dog is right for you.

If you're suffering from any form of mental illness, it's important to get a proper diagnosis from your medical doctor or psychiatrist. From there, you can take the proper steps in order to get a signed note to ensure that your pet is an emotional support animal.